2012

[markr]

I might be wrong but I doubt that CF would build a record breaking B and M inverted at KI since it might steal the spotlight of CP's Raptor.

[westcoaster]

For 2012 In all reality? Could'nt you see a sit down restraunt, a new Front Gate entrance,

Now i have to agree from xbase to Action Zone would rock ???But reality:

maybe Cedar Fair would have to sell off some parks to make money????

Time will tell:

[CoastersRZ]

Why would Kings Island need a new front gate entrance? Many agree that Kings Island`s entrance is among the best in seasonal amusement parks, as the front gate structure blocks your view of the fountain and I-Street until you have entered the park.

And I don`t think people realize how far of a walk it is from X-Base, along the maintenance paths back to Adventure Express and the SoB area. It is quite a hike and on rather hilly terrain. I`d say Kings Island would be more likely to see Nickelodeon return than a midway constructed linking X-Base with Action Zone.

[chaddie]

Why would Kings Island need a new front gate entrance? Many agree that Kings Island`s entrance is among the best in seasonal amusement parks, as the front gate structure blocks your view of the fountain and I-Street until you have entered the park.

I personally think the entrance is just fine the way it is.

And I don`t think people realize how far of a walk it is from X-Base, along the maintenance paths back to Adventure Express and the SoB area. It is quite a hike and on rather hilly terrain. I`d say Kings Island would be more likely to see Nickelodeon return than a midway constructed linking X-Base with Action Zone.

I can still hope for a new midway connecting X-Base to Action Zone. Maybe with new rides too! A boy can dream!

[bkroz]

First of all, the B&M Invert thing is something that has been floating around for a number of years. "Tear down Son of Beast / Top Gun, use that area for a B&M Invert. It would be so cool on that terrain." Besides the fact that, as was stated, that area is very hard to construct on and would need a lot of advance preparation (not just half a season), and besides the fact that Flight Deck is still a moderately-well attended ride, I think there's been a loss of realism on one thing -

Kings Island is one of very, very few parks in the Cedar Fair chain with untapped land, and a lot of it. To be frank, we should be the last park that needs to adopt a "to add, you must subtract" policy. Yes, much of the land is gone from the years before Paramount, but consider that we still have over 300 undeveloped acres, yes? Is it easily accessible? Not all of it. But we certainly don't need to tear something down to put something new in the way that Cedar Point or Great America has to.

I would love a B&M Invert to go in the park, or even back there (since apparently suspended coasters are reaching the end of their "service life" ). It's true that Action Zone could use some major re-invigorating. What was once the park's premier, thrilling area is now what, three or four rides? Not the draw it once way. But I don't think Flight Deck should be removed for the sake of making room. For other reasons, maybe. But not because we need that area.

[chaddie]

First of all, the B&M Invert thing is something that has been floating around for a number of years. "Tear down Son of Beast / Top Gun, use that area for a B&M Invert. It would be so cool on that terrain." Besides the fact that, as was stated, that area is very hard to construct on and would need a lot of advance preparation (not just half a season), and besides the fact that Flight Deck is still a moderately-well attended ride, I think there's been a loss of realism on one thing -

Kings Island is one of very, very few parks in the Cedar Fair chain with untapped land, and a lot of it. To be frank, we should be the last park that needs to adopt a "to add, you must subtract" policy. Yes, much of the land is gone from the years before Paramount, but consider that we still have over 300 undeveloped acres, yes? Is it easily accessible? Not all of it. But we certainly don't need to tear something down to put something new in the way that Cedar Point or Great America has to.

I would love a B&M Invert to go in the park, or even back there (since apparently suspended coasters are reaching the end of their "service life" ). It's true that Action Zone could use some major re-invigorating. What was once the park's premier, thrilling area is now what, three or four rides? Not the draw it once way. But I don't think Flight Deck should be removed for the sake of making room. For other reasons, maybe. But not because we need that area.

I would never endorse the removal of Flight Deck. I like that ride too!

[TH13TEEN]

I might be wrong but I doubt that CF would build a record breaking B and M inverted at KI since it might steal the spotlight of CP's Raptor.

They have built a couple B&M inverts that I think have stole the spotlight of Raptor. One that comes to mind is, Flight Deck at California's Great America. Granted CF did NOT build this coaster... But Flight Deck is so intense the only con is its short.

[bkroz]

I might be wrong but I doubt that CF would build a record breaking B and M inverted at KI since it might steal the spotlight of CP's Raptor.

The constant notion that we will never again receive a noteworthy ride that "beats" a Cedar Point counterpart is really out of hand. Will we get a 500 foot tall coaster? No. But honestly, Raptor is 16 years old, and has been beaten in both quality & size by quite a few inverted coasters around the world. Cedar Fair would be foolish to absolutely write off ever having an inverted coaster taller than Raptor just so Raptor can continue hanging around the middle of the height charts...

What I mean to say is, there is no spotlight on Cedar Point's Raptor left to steal, and it would be a ridiculous and unfounded business decision to avoid building a ride of the same kind just because of Cedar Point's proximity.

I know Paramount had completely different plans for the park. When we got Flight of Fear, there was a sense of confidence that Cedar Point would never have a ride that could compete on all levels. We knew that, for better or worse, Cedar Point would never have a ride like The Italian Job, or Tomb Raider. That "exclusivity" is gone; I think the fear is that now since our only option is a plain-and-simple-no-add-ons-no-storyline roller coaster, people think our ONLY option is to get poor-man versions of Cedar Point rides...

I don't think that's the case.

[CoastersRZ]

Personally, I would love if we got a B&M invert similar to Afterburn at Carowinds. The pacing on that ride is incredible, and the way it interacts with the terrain (through tunnels and trenches) is amazing. If Kings Island were to get a ride like that, it would certainly complement Diamondback and The Beast quite nicely.

And on the subject of removal of rides. Parks will reach a certain size when it is not feasible to continue to expand the park footprint. What I mean, is if attendance remains flat or raises a little, there really is not much of an incentive to continue to expand operating costs. What I mean is, when Diamondback opened, Kings Island did not remove any rides. So they have to hire more ride ops to staff the ride. As such, they have more rides employees on the clock at any given time, which results in a higher operating expense. If revenues remain flat, this increased operating cost cuts into profits. That is one reason, outside of maintenance and ride popularity issues that can impact where new rides are located.

[bkroz]

Right. And there are rides that can be removed. To many, Flight Deck may be one of them. I'm simply pointing out that we don't need to get rid of Flight Deck, even to access that area of land. Should a roller coaster station be built near Action Theater (next to Eurobobble?), or near Son of Beast, the ride could enter dozens of acres of land without expanding the actual area of the park at all. If you ask me, the cost of dismantling, disposing of, re-evaluating, and re-configuring the land under Flight Deck would far outweigh the three or four ride operators required to run it. I could be (and usually am) wrong.

[Adventure Express]

An X-Base expansion

An X-Base expansion would be Great!

[Purplehaze]

I love the front gate! It for sure is a classic, I would however like to see the park re-themed to its glory days of Octoberfest and the like.

[Adventure Express]

I love the front gate! It for sure is a classic, I would however like to see the park re-themed to its glory days of Octoberfest and the like.

It really doesn't matter to me if they do anything with the Oktoberfest theme or not (Although the area specific music WAS very nice). I just wish they would do something with the Clock above the Festhaus. It looks terrible!!

[06jds377]

World's first hyper invert, please. Must be B&M. kthx

[BeastForever]

With maybe adding a major ride in 2012 they could also add a burlap sack slide in Coney Mall! I would love that! Especially with knowing how fun the burlap sack slide at Coney Island is. I'm sure this wouldn't cost much. Would anybody else want this? Because I'm sure I would!

[Pillsberry123]

At this point I don't think it's possible to predict what will happen in 2012 until we see what happens in 2011. The future of Son of Beast is the center of attention now, and until something is done with it I don't see a new ride popping up anywhere.

[ILoveTheBeast4Life]

An X-Base expansion

Very much agree. I would love to see an X-Base expansion. Flight of Fear and Firehawk are both awesome coasters. Could you imagine another awesome indoor coaster like Flight of Fear or something unique like Firehawk. I would be there opening day.

[flightoffear1996]

I could honstly take or leave Firehawk. I never ride. Line is always too long and its a sub-par ride in my opinion.

[Purplehaze]

^ I agree. I also do not like having to rent a locker just to ride.

[KIfan1980]

Firehawk is my favorite ride that I hardly ever ride.

I'll head over sometimes for a quick ride after ERT and do really enjoy it, but refuse to wait in the line at any other time.

[bkroz]

I think flying coasters work wonders for destination parks like SeaWorld, Six Flags Magic Mountain, etc. But, like stand-up coasters, it thrives on a gimmick (though a much more fun and comfortable gimmick, admittedly) that most people don't care to wait for three or more times. In other words, at a park like Kings Island (or, especially Carowinds) that appeals mostly to locals and has since received taller, fastest, shorter-queue coasters, I believe you'll begin seeing a decline in Firehawk's ridership. After you wait an hour for it a few times, you're pretty much done. Diamondback is a little different each time. So if Flight of Fear. Even Top Gun. But if you've ridden Firehawk once, you've ridden it a dozen times, so I imagine that, within the coming years, more and more people will see the long wait and decide to pass on it since they've already done it.

The park deals with a lot of repeat customers, and season passholders. They've ridden Firehawk before, and doubtlessly are now going to begin turning their attention to rides with shorter waits, and bigger stats.

[LongliveKingsCobra]

I see the long lines for Firehawk, and I walk right past it. Not worth the 1-2 hour wait IMO.

[The Interpreter]

So, your theory is the same as Yogi Berra's...No one rides Firehawk, it's too popular?

Terp, who notes the same phenomenon exists at Great Adventure, but at Geauga Lake, X-Flight frequently had virtually no line at all...then again, the park frequently had very few guests to be in line anywhere.

[Rustbucket]

^ "No wonder no one comes here. It is too crowded." Firehawk is my second favorite flying coaster although a distant second. I agree that I will not wait for more than 30 minutes to ride it but will ride it when the waits are not very long.

I believe 60 to 70% of KI visitors are non-season pass holders. That is close to 2 million visitors each year who come to the park infrequently. Firehawk ridership will be quite high for at least several more years.

[thekidd33]

I fall into the "Season pass holder who won't wait in a long FH line" category. I LOVED the ride the first couple of times I was on it but since then the novelty has worn off for me. It is a fun ride but not one I am willing to wait 60 or 90 minutes for.

Now my brother on the other hand, has ridden FH a ton and still loves it.

[Dbfan]

^ Thats why you start the day with a Firehawk ride. Get on the first train there, then walk on FOF, then find something to do for a little bit until the initial crowd at Diamondback calms down.

2012?

I think we need a wooden coaster. It's Kings Island, and if SOB is down by then, it leaves the perfect oppurtunity for a woodie.

[flightoffear1996]

Some people do not and cannont get to the park whenit opens.

[Coney Islander]

^ Thats why you start the day with a Firehawk ride. Get on the first train there, then walk on FOF, then find something to do for a little bit until the initial crowd at Diamondback calms down.

2012?

I think we need a wooden coaster. It's Kings Island, and if SOB is down by then, it leaves the perfect oppurtunity for a woodie.

Imagine how dirty Son of Beast's spot will be, after its gone. Even if you wait a few years, it'll still just be a big field. Doesn't sound very appealing as location for a wooden coaster.

All I'm saying, I believe Kings Island's next coaster addition should be wooden. I just don't see Son of Beast's location as ideal...

[Purplehaze]

They do have a landscaping dept. lol

[Coney Islander]

Landscaping? Bleah!

Or even better said...

In all honesty, I don't too much mind a muddy steel coaster, but a wooden coaster in mud doesn't sound all that appealing.